HB1046 • 2026

School and School-Sponsored Activities - Report of Suspected Abuse or Neglect - Parental Notification

Children Education Parental Rights

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegate Guyton
Last action: 2026-02-13
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

School and School-Sponsored Activities - Report of Suspected Abuse or Neglect - Parental Notification

Requiring a school to provide notice to the parent, guardian, or caretaker of a child if a mandated reporter reports certain suspected abuse or neglect that occurs at a school or school-sponsored activity, unless the parent, guardian, or caretaker is the subject of the report; and requiring the notice to be provided not later than 24 hours after the report is made.

What This Bill Does

Requiring a school to provide notice to the parent, guardian, or caretaker of a child if a mandated reporter reports certain suspected abuse or neglect that occurs at a school or school-sponsored activity, unless the parent, guardian, or caretaker is the subject of the report; and requiring the notice to be provided not later than 24 hours after the report is made.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-13 House
Hearing 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-09 House
First Reading Ways and Means
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - School and School-Sponsored Activities - Report of Suspected Abuse or Neglect - Parental Notification

Official Summary Text

Requiring a school to provide notice to the parent, guardian, or caretaker of a child if a mandated reporter reports certain suspected abuse or neglect that occurs at a school or school-sponsored activity, unless the parent, guardian, or caretaker is the subject of the report; and requiring the notice to be provided not later than 24 hours after the report is made.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1046*

HOUSE BILL 1046
D4, F1 6lr1766

By: Delegate Guyton
Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

School and School–Sponsored Activities – Report of Suspected Abuse or Neglect 2
– Parental Notification 3

FOR the purpose of requiring a school to provide certain notice to the parent, guardian, or 4
caretaker of a child if a mandated reporter reports certain suspected abuse or neglect 5
that occurs at a school or school –sponsored activity , except under certain 6
circumstances; and generally relating to parental notification for reports of 7
suspected child abuse or neglect at school and school–sponsored activities. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–455 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Human Services 15
Section 1–202(a) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 19
Article – Human Services 20
Section 1–202(c)(1)(vi) 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 24
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 25

Article – Education 26
2 HOUSE BILL 1046

7–455. 1

(A) IF A MANDATED REPORTER REPORTS SUSPECTED ABUSE OR NEGLECT 2
OF A CHILD THAT OCCURS AT A SCH OOL OR SCHOOL –SPONSORED ACTIVITY AS 3
REQUIRED BY § 5–704 OF THE FAMILY LAW ARTICLE, THE SCHOOL SHALL PROVIDE 4
NOTICE OF THE REPORT TO THE PARENT, GUARDIAN, OR CARETAKER OF THE CHILD 5
UNLESS THE PARENT, GUARDIAN, OR CARETAKER IS THE SUBJECT OF THE REPORT. 6

(B) NOTICE UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE PROVIDED 7
NOT LATER THAN 24 HOURS AFTER THE REPORT IS MADE. 8

Article – Human Services 9

1–202. 10

(a) Except as otherwise provided in § 7–455 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE, 11
Title 5, Subtitles 7 and 12 of the Family Law Article, § 1 –203 of this subtitle, and this 12
section, a person may not disclose a report or record concerning child abuse or neglect. 13

(c) A report or record concerning child abuse or neglect: 14

(1) may be disclosed on request to: 15

(vi) a parent or other person who has permanent or temporary care 16
and custody of the child, if provisions are made for the protection of the identity of the 17
reporter or any other person whose life or safety is likely to be endangered by disclosing the 18
information; 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 20
1, 2026. 21